75¢
PC Gardening on the Prairie event in Hazen (See p. 8)
Volume 117 Number 20 - USPS 225-680
Community Events Calendar Thursday May 3 PC Democratic Party Meeting Murry’s Restaurant Hazen 6:00 p.m. Friday May 4 DAHS “Cinderella” performance DAES cafeteria 7:00 p.m. Sunday May 6 Michael Cullipher is Elvis Fundraiser All proceeds go to Team Turner Tickets are $5.00 4:00pm Hazen High Gym Monday May 7 Chamber of Commerce Meeting 6:30 p.m.- 7:30p.m. BancorpSouth Hazen Hazen Chapter #5 OES Mock Initiation 6:00 p.m. Tuesday May 8 Quorum Court Meeting Des Arc Annex Building 6:00 p.m. Friday May 11 Senior Day at HHS Des Arc High School Graduation High School Gyn 8:00pm Saturday May 12 Movie Night at the Center featuring Noah 6:00 p.m. DVB Community Center Monday May 14 Hazen High Awards Ceremony 9:00am Hornets Nest
Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of Commerce and the
Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Serving all of Prairie County, Arkansas
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
DAES named top performing school Des Arc Elementary School has been named as one of the top performing schools in the state of Arkansas. For its efforts, the school will receive $12,640.32 in School Recognition funds. DAES was ranked as one of the top 6-10% high performing schools, and was given a school grade of “A” by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Ark. Code Ann. §6-152107, funds the Arkansas School Recognition Program, which was created to provide financial awards to public schools that experience high student performance, student academic growth, and for secondary schools, high graduation rate. The law authorizes rewards in an amount up to $100 per student who
attends a public school or public charter school in the top 5% of all Arkansas public schools in student performance or student academic growth, which includes high school graduation rates for secondary schools under criteria set forth by rule of the State Board of Education. Up to $50 per student enrolled is awarded to public schools or public charter schools between the top 5% and the next 5% (schools in the top 610%) of all public schools in Arkansas in student performance or student academic growth, which includes high school graduation rates for secondary schools. The total Performance and Growth Amount distributed by the state this year was $6,999,529.
Hazen School Board approves ACSIP The Hazen School Board voted to approve the 2017-18 Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (ACSIP) budget and the 2018-19 salary and supplementary schedules at the regular meeting held on Monday, April 23, in the Hazen High School library. Present for the meeting were Superintendent Bill Crowder; board members David Strohl, vicki Skarda, Davy Williams, Richie Ingle, Freddie Rogers, and Sandra Penn; High School Principal Clint Williams; and District Financial Officer Sarah Snider. The district’s ACSIP had to be presented to the
Arkansas Department of Education by May 1, but revisions can me made up until August, according to Crowder. “We have to outline by budget line each penny that comes out,” Snider said. Crowder said that the plan would be cleaned up after the board passed it. According to budget summary, the Title I budget for the district includes $2000 to pay for the federal coordinator (Crowder) to attend two conferences, $1600 for services and supplies to assist homeless students with their needs, and $6134 in other indirect costs. The district has budgeted $213,081.88 in available Title I money. Title I
money is federal money given to help districts improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged children. This year’s Title I money budgeted for the elementary school includes salaries and benefits for 3 instructional aides to provide interventions to increase student achievement in grades K-8 for a total of $51,304.89, a salary of $51,244.00 plus benefits for an instruction interventionist to increase student achievement in math in grades K-8 (Angela Williams), and a salary of $54,619.00 plus benefits for an instruction interventionist to increase student achievement in literacy in grades
K-8 (Donna Felty); $4,094.26 for parent involvement general supplies; $9000 for the Learning Ally software program; and $5000 for
educational technology to access supplemental software.
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DAHS drama team presents Cinderella The Des Arc High School Drama Team will be presenting “Cinderella” on Friday, May 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Des Arc Elementary School cafeteria. Tickets may be purchased at the Des Arc High School office for $5 in advance. Tickets will be $6 at the door. VIP
seats on the first three rows will be sold for $10 each. VIP ticket holders will also receive a free drink and popcorn. Children ages 12 and under can attend the play for free. For more information contact fleckh@desarcschools.org or call 870256-4166.
DA School Board accepts resignations of superintendent, principal; funds SRO The Des Arc School Board held their monthly meeting April 23rd. Attending the meeting were Superintendent Nick Hill, High School Principal Bruce Guthrie, Elementary Principal Dena Rooks and board members Charlie Brown, Eric Kennedy, Billy Hinson, Sylvester Holloway, John Reidhar, Kent Childers and Stewart Morton. The board accepted the resignations of Superintendent Nick Hill and Elementary Principal Dena Rooks effective at the end of the school year. Resignations were also accepted from secondary science teacher Elizabeth Hill and retirement resignations from 4th grade math teacher Diane Tipton and 3rd grade math teacher Theresa Riley. They also approved transferring 1st grade teacher Michelle Marshall to 3rd grade math teacher to replace Theresa Riley. Rachel Ladner from Stuttgart was hired as 4th grade math teacher to replace Diane Tipton. Dina Knight from Stuttgart was hired as 1st grade teacher to replace Michelle Marshall. Applications will be accepted for the other vacant positions. Superintendent Hill reported that the county and city have agreed to pay 1/3 of the salary for a School Resource Officer.
He asked Police Chief Rick Parson to explain the details of hiring an officer. Chief Parson stated the salary package that will be offered is $46,000 and the school's portion will be $15,380. The certified officer will be an employee of the Police Department and they will furnish him a vehicle and pay for any needed training. Board member Stewart Morton asked if Chief Parson would be the one hiring the officer. Chief Parson said he would be the one to make the final decision but the Superintendent and Principals will be involved. Superintendent Hill asked if the officer would need an office space at the school. Chief Parson said "yes because the officer will have some reports to file and will need Internet access". Chief Parson stated the duties of the officer will be safety patrol and handling any serious problems but would also provide programs to students and build a good repor with students and staff. He will also provide security at ballgames and school events. The schedule for the officer will be Monday-Friday 7:30-3:30 (40 hours per week). Any time over that will be the school's responsibility to pay. In the summer the officer will work at the school as well as at the Police Department to continue working 40 hours
per week. The board approved a motion to pay 1/3 of the officer's salary and begin the hiring process. Superintendent Hill thanked Mayor Garth and the county for their support. Mayor Garth stated he would have the city attorney draw up the contract between the city and the officer that is hired. Another major discussion at the meeting was changing the school food service to OPAA Food Management Company. Superintendent Hill reported that Joyce Major, JoAnn Anderson and himself had visited a school that OPAA servic-
es. He said they were all very impressed with what they saw and the lunch they ate was very good. He also said they didn't see much food waste. With the OPAA program, Elementary students would have a choice of 2 hot meals or 2 cold meals as well as a salad/fruit bar. High School students would have a choice of 3 hot meals or 2 cold meals as well as a salad/fruit bar, slushie machine and "Ala Carte" tray with snack items (purchase of a meal would be required to use "Ala Carte" tray) and there would also be more options for teachers. The cost to the school would
be $3.00 per meal for lunch and $1.50 per meal for breakfast. Hill said OPAA stated they would keep all current food service employees, but they will become OPPA employees instead of school employees. The contract will be on a yearto-year basis and can be cancelled at any time. The board members had a large folder with information on the program including menus and pictures of food and equipment. After looking at all the information the board approved a motion to enter a contract with OPPA for the 2018-2019 school year.
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